Beach House

I downloaded this film last night, and just finished watching it. Nice looking beach house, nice looking white people, incredibly nonsensical story....the end.

I realize that it could have been faster, but they were building suspense. I enjoyed it. It felt slow at the beginning, and it picked up just in time.

An affluent couple from Manhattan and their literary major daughter (Willa Fitzgerald) enjoy a getaway to the Hamptons when the mother invites an old flame out to their beach house, a charismatic edgy artist (Murray Bartlett). What could possibly go wrong?

"Beach House" (2018) is a slow-burn Hitchcockian drama/thriller in the mold of "Swimming Pool" (2003) mixed with elements of "Last Summer" (1969) and "Something's Gotta Give" (2003). The difference is that it's an Indie with a miniscule budget, which can be observed in the opening scene/credits. Thankfully, it scores high on the writing/acting front, which is where any flick of this genre stands or falls.

Speaking of which, the script well chronicles the social intricacies of affluent leisure augmented by the too young woman/older man element and noir-style suspense. It's a movie for those who appreciate quality drama that slowly builds rather than those who require an explosion every five minutes.

While Willa Fitzgerald looks 18, she was 26 during shooting and effective in the role. Writer/Director Jason Saltiel knows how to tastefully capture women on camera without being sleazy.

The film runs 1 hour, 27 minutes, and was shot at a beach house at the far end of Long Island in Amagansett.

GRADE: B.

After watching Will Fitzgerald in Mel Gibson's Desperation Road, 2023, I thought she did a great performance. So I decided to watch other of her movies including, Blood Money, 2017, Savage Salvation, 2022, and now Beach House. The movie was great with a small cast, a slow burn with certain levels of suspense and seduction in a good story, I think it needs a sequel, I hope the screenwriter has that in plans, but definitely with Willa Fitzgerald to see how she transitions from Beach House to going to Berlin. Her acting ability has lots of versatility. Like how realistic acting in her performance in Savage Salvation. I'll be watching more of her older movies and upcoming ones. She carried the movie by herself.

This movie moves incredibly slow. If you need action or thrills you won't be happy. However there is some good acting, a decent setting, and a pretty young actress on the beach. No spoilers here but if you are like me you are going to spend the whole film asking "why would a middle aged women with a family invite a former fling who she has not seen in many years to drop in and live with them for a few days?" I guess I'm old fashioned, but it seems like her current man would object. Anyway, good acting made the film a decent watch.